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The Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the, numbering approximately 1,510,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a matrilineal people of southwestern DRC related to the Suku, whose 16th-century kingdom invaded Kongo from the Lunda Plateau before subservience under the 1620 Lunda expansion, regaining independence after the Lunda-Chokwe empire's collapse. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo) is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Yaka

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of the
People Cluster: Bantu, Central-South
Primary Language(s): Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo) (yaf)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 1,510,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG014746
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Pray for the Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Pray Now!
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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

78%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Language Family: Atlantic-Congo

100%
%
Yaka (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Speakers

Media Resources in Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo):

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

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Bible Resources in Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo):

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Yaka (Democratic Republic of Congo) bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

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SPI: No longer Unreached

The Yaka are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Yaka:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Yaka of Congo, Democratic Republic of the

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
readPsalm 62:1

Pray that those who are troubled and don't know about the God who saves will hear the good news and find rest in the one true God who can offer salvation for their souls.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
readRomans 1:19-20

Pray that God will use His creation – the “things that have been made” – to spark a fresh and passionate curiosity among them to draw near to the Maker and that, as they seek Him, He will make a way for them to hear the gospel and receive it with joy.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
readHebrews 12:1-2

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will remember the testimony of those who went before them, resist sin, and run with perseverance the race set before them, fixing their eyes on Jesus.

And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
readMark 1:17-18

Pray that God will raise up believers from this place and/or other cultures nearby to proclaim the gospel to those who desperately need to encounter it.

Yaka Across Countries (ROP3 - 110931) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

PhotoPeople Group IDName ▼CountryPopulationStrategic Progress IndexLanguageReligion
YakaPG014746YakaCongo, Democratic Republic of the1,510,000No Longer UnreachedYaka (Democratic Republic of Congo)Roman Catholicism
YakaPG015208YakaAngola312,000No Longer UnreachedYaka (Congo)Ethnoreligion

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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